The library’s One Book, One Village (OBOV) community read marked its 10-year anniversary in signature style giving readers and the Arlington Heights community an opportunity to meet its One Book author up close and personal, and Thursday night’s “An Evening with Catherine Adel West” did not disappoint.
More than 160 filled Forest View Auditorium on October 26 to hear West, a Chicago born and raised author, delve into this year’s selected title, The Two Lives of Sara, with WBEZ award-winning reporter Natalie Moore. Another 70-some joined in via the library’s YouTube channel and watched as the event unfolded live beginning at 7 p.m.
“We’re going to have spoiler alerts tonight,” joked Moore as a lively, 45-minute conversation with West began and took the audience on an insightful journey covering topics ranging from writing emotionally complex characters and storylines that don’t always have a happy ending to how music and food can nourish and provide community with comfort.
“I love my readers, I love you all (pause) but I don’t care about you all when I’m getting ready to write,” said West with a laugh before continuing.
“I’m just writing and waiting to see what comes out, and it really is what it is at that point, and I need it to be realistic in how things happen,” explained West. “I need to hold myself accountable and the characters accountable because if it’s not ringing true to me when I’m writing it, it’s not going to ring true to you all when you’re reading it.”
The Two Lives of Sara indeed rings true. The compelling work of fiction, set against the backdrop of 1960s Memphis, is filled with a host of memorable characters including Sara King, Jonas, Lucky, Will, Amos and the incomparable Mama Sugar, the proprietress of a boarding house where many pivotal parts of the story unfold at table or in the kitchen – settings near and dear to West’s upbringing.
“Where do we congregate? In the kitchen,” said West. “Some of the most important conversations I’ve had in my life have been with my mama in the kitchen, with my grandma in the kitchen, so I just felt like it was really important to have food and cooking and community as part of the story.”
Another important element for West in creating The Two Lives of Sara was crafting authentic voices and choices—even if those choices and actions are tough ones and not readily acceptable to the reader.
“They are the antagonist, the black to your white, the peanut butter to your jelly, the sun to your ocean. You can’t have one without the other,” said West in reaction to Moore questioning some of the characters’ motivations and the choices they made throughout the book. “You can’t have light without dark.”
The Two Lives of Sara was announced as the book for OBOV 2023 at the end of August and since then copies of the book have circulated more than 1,700 times. Most in attendance had read the book and were excited for the opportunity to pose their own questions during an audience Q&A including one attendee who asked West what advice she would give to beginning writers.
“No one can tell a story the way you can tell your own story," said West. “Be passionate, pragmatic and persevere.”
An Evening with Catherine Adel West was supported, in part, by the Friends of the Library.
“Most times when you read a book, you don't know the author at all. You have no idea their personality and that's why I think these events are really nice,” said Sarah Whelan, who attended the event with a member of her book club. “And just personally, for me, I don't have a large experience with Black authors or Black culture even, and so I enjoyed that part of it and hearing [from] her.”
One Book, One Village 2023 continues through early November. A video recording of the entire interview and event is available for viewing through November 9 on the library’s YouTube channel. Watch here.